Free League’s Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E hits D&D Beyond, meaning hobbits are once again playable species in D&D.
The circle is complete. In 1976, the Tolkien estate sued TSR, the makers of D&D, for its use of certain words. At the time, they included balrogs, wargs, ents, and hobbits, but went on to include dragons, elves, goblins, and dwarves. Eventually they settled out of court, and, like Gandalf the Grey falling out of time to become Gandalf the White, so too did hobbits become halflings, ents become treants, balrogs became balors, and wargs became the ever imaginative worgs.
And that was the end of it. Until 48 years later, when Free League’s RPG set in Middle Earth hit D&D Beyond. Now Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E is under the D&D Beyond umbrella. Which is absolutely wild. Among many things, hobbits are once again associated with the maker of D&D.
History doesn’t repeat itself. But it rhymes.
Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E on D&D Beyond – Head Out Your Door Without Leaving the House
One of the most interesting things about Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E being on D&D Beyond is just how divergent they are. Of all the titles on D&D Beyond, LotR 5e is perhaps the most wildly divergent from the core rules. It really stresses the Beyond part of D&D Beyond.
What makes Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E so “beyond” though? A lot, actually. It has its own set of six core classes, called Callings in game terms. On top of that it has a whole set of equipment modifying traits called Rewards, as well as rules for Journeys and Shadow points, and a dedicated social phase.
There’s a lot there. It’s really good. If you want an RPG that really sinks its teeth into the world of Middle Earth, but still need the comfort of D&D, this is the way to go. If you want to really dive in, Free League’s The One Ring diverges even more from 5E.
But Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E captures that LotR feeling that many campaigns hope to evoke. What makes it sing is its dedication to its theme. With Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E on D&D Beyond, you’ll get the full setting guide as well as the core rules.
Even if you don’t play in the world of Middle-earth, this book still has some of the best 5E/5.5E rules out there. The Journeys and Fellowship rules alone add more depth to some of the pillars of D&D that really lag behind, compared to combat. There’s a much better balance between magical characters and those without.
It’s great. And you can take it for a spin this very week if you wanted!
The road goes ever on and on!
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